Wang Chien-ming Rarely Shows Anger, Slams Phone Box Door, Hopes Young Pitchers Seize Opportunities

(Central News Agency reporter Su Chih-yu, Taipei, 3rd) CTBC Brothers pitching coach Wang Chien-ming became a hot topic after forcefully closing a phone box door following a series of walks by his pitchers in a game. In an interview before the game on Wednesday, he admitted, "I hope these young players can seize every opportunity."

The CTBC Brothers lost 3-7 to the Uni-President 7-ELEVEn Lions on Tuesday. Four Brothers pitchers combined for eight walks. In the ninth inning, Lu Meng-yang started by issuing three consecutive walks. Broadcast footage captured Wang calling the bullpen and then forcefully closing the phone box door, a rare display of emotion.

Wang first joked with the media, saying, "No, the door is too heavy. It feels stuck. Maybe it needs some lubricant." He then explained, "The team's record hasn't been ideal this year. When we're behind, we send the young guys up. I hope these young players can seize every opportunity."

Although Lu eventually pitched a scoreless inning, Wang pointed out that pitchers try to hit the corners, but when the umpire isn't favoring those pitches, they should consider the score difference and focus on throwing strikes, avoiding overworking the bullpen.

In 2024, Wang also broke a stopwatch in anger over an umpire's call. When asked which incident was more forceful, Wang laughed and said, "The stopwatch, because it broke."

Lu apologized to Wang on Wednesday, but Wang said, "You shouldn't apologize to me. You should apologize to yourself. Your performance on the field is your career record. If you want a certain result, you have to show that kind of performance."

Uni-President Lions head coach Lin Yueh-ping, a former minor league pitching coach, said that while Wang's anger is rare, it is understandable. "He has high expectations for the players, but he can't control the outcome, so he gets a bit impatient." Lin joked, "I used to be more hot-tempered, but I would hide it." He added that sometimes when players underperform, venting can let them know, "It's just that the usually amiable senior rarely explodes." (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150603